Re: A different 5 speed...?

[Jake Kooser <jake_k@ibm.net>]

Hey kids, the "rent-a-slug" we had in Italy had a kind of strange, yet
cool reverse lock-out.  The shift knob was like a standard round one,
about the size of a racquetball, and the reverse lock out was the lower
1/3 or so of the ball, that you engaged by pulling up the bottom of the
ball into the top part, which overlapped the bottom 1/3.  I realize this
is kind of a funky explanation, but imagine resting your hand on top of
the shifter (try this at home if you like, stock shifter fans) with the
palm of the hand on the top of the ball, and your fingers are naturally
in the right position to pull the ball up, engaging the reverse lock
out.  The model of car was an Opel Vectra, I believe - there may be a GM
equivalent here in the U.S. if you'd care to brave the dealership to
check for it.

Jake Kooser

I also noticed when I was driving the alleged "new" car, that the
hydraulic clutch felt waaaayyy too light for my tastes, and had to be
pressed fully to the floor to shift without grinding gears.  On the
other hand, when I was driving Barney, the trusty yet ugly super beetle
home tonight, I noticed the clutch felt REAL heavy - how quickly the
left leg forgets it's old friends, eh?